Preview: Saint-Etienne vs. Marseille - prediction, team news, lineups

Marseille will endeavour to keep their European dreams alive when they travel to Saint-Etienne for Sunday lunchtime's Ligue 1 battle.

The hosts enjoyed a 2-1 triumph at Montpellier HSC last time out, whereas Marseille could not get the better of Strasbourg in a 1-1 stalemate.

Match preview

© Reuters

With survival practically confirmed, Saint-Etienne are simply playing for pride in the final few weeks of the season, and Claude Puel is surely already looking ahead to next season following a tumultuous campaign.

Les Verts' woeful spell of form over the autumn and winter periods led to whispers of demotion creeping in, but they have silenced such talk in the past few months and all but assured themselves of a place in the top flight with a 2-1 win over Montpellier last time out.

Romain Hamouma and Mathieu Debuchy struck after Andy Delort's sixth-minute opener, and Saint-Etienne's 11th win of the season has propelled them up to 12th in the rankings - eight points clear of the relegation playoff place with only three games left to play.

Les Verts' final two fixtures could hardly be more contrasting, as they travel to league leaders Lille before facing off against basement side Dijon on the final day, so a top-half finish may be a bridge too far for Puel's side at this very late stage.

Furthermore, Saint-Etienne are now welcoming Marseille to a ground where they have only claimed two wins from their last 15 attempts - a run which also includes three losses from their most recent four - and their visitors are still in the European conversation before their trip to the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

© Reuters

It took 73 minutes for Marseille's game against Strasbourg to explode into life, as Les Coureurs stunned Jorge Sampaoli's side with a thunderous header from Stefan Mitrovic, but two inspired substitutions did the trick for Les Olympiens.

Dario Benedetto had been on the pitch for all of three minutes when he headed home from fellow substitute Luis Henrique's cross to rescue a point for Marseille, but with fifth-placed Lens suffering defeat at Paris Saint-Germain last time out, Sampaoli's men have passed up a golden opportunity to break into the top five.

Sampaoli's side are currently level on points with the newly-promoted side in sixth, although that could all change when Lens face off against leaders Lille in Friday night's battle, and Marseille cannot afford to pass up another chance to leapfrog their continental rivals if they slip up twice in a row.

Les Olympiens can boast a respectable haul of 11 points from the last 15 on offer and they have lost just one of their last eight in the top flight, but a 3-1 win at Reims on April 23 represented a first away victory in the league since December - a run which included five draws and five losses on unfamiliar territory.

Saint-Etienne did take the spoils against Marseille in a 2-0 win at the Orange Velodrome back in September, but they have not completed a league double over Les Olympiens since the 1979-80 campaign.

Team News

© Reuters

Hamouma was forced off the pitch with 15 minutes to go in the win over Montpellier, but his issue is not thought to be serious and he will hope to line up from the first whistle alongside Wahbi Khazri.

Yvan Neyou is back in training following an ankle problem and should be available for selection again, but an ingrown toenail prevented Miguel Trauco from turning out and he remains a doubt for this game.

Charles Abi could push for a start up top if Hamouma is not passed fit, but Puel would ideally hope to name an identical XI from the victory over Montpellier.

Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye shook off a knock to come on as a substitute against Strasbourg, but it may be too soon for full-backs Hiroki Sakai or Jordan Amavi to make their returns.

There may be an alteration on the left-hand side anyway, as Henrique will hope to earn a start over Yuto Nagatomo after claiming his fourth assist as a substitute last time out.

Gueye is a candidate to replace Valentin Rongier in the middle of the park, but Benedetto's late equaliser is unlikely to see him displace Dimitri Payet or Arkadiusz Milik up top.

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:
Green; Debuchy, Moukoudi, Cisse, Silva; Bouanga, Gourna-Douath, Camara, Nordin; Hamouma, Khazri

Marseille possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Balerdi, Gonzalez, Caleta-Car; Lirola, Kamara, Gueye, Henrique; Thauvin, Milik, Payet

We say: Saint-Etienne 1-2 Marseille

Unless Lens can defy the odds and sink the league leaders, the door is open for Marseille to break back into the European places, and Sampaoli will not allow his side to rest on their laurels.

Saint-Etienne deserve plenty of respect for the way that they have picked themselves up in the second half of the season, but we still expect Les Olympiens to come up trumps here.

VOTE IN THE END-OF-SEASON SPORTS MOLE AWARDS!

Have your say in the annual end-of-season Sports Mole Reader Awards!

Click here to vote for your Premier League Player of the Season, Goal of the Season, Signing of the Season and much more!